by Thinus Ferreira
Britain's Sky News (DStv 402) has announced the start of an organisational overhaul as part of its "Sky News 2030" strategy in which it will pivot to create and deliver digital and premium pay news content as the state of traditional TV news continues to decline.
Sky News will give less resources on breaking news and covering live news, will have to reorganise the newsroom, eliminate duplicate processes and use artificial intelligence (AI) more.
While American TV news like CNN and Britain's Sky News and starting to face the inevitable future that requires a drastic rethink to remain viable, South Africa's eNCA (DStv 403) from eMedia on MultiChoice's DStv, SABC News (DStv 404), as well as Newzroom Africa (DStv 405) have not yet announced drastic realignments to their operating models.
Sky News chairman David Rhodes, in a speech to staff, announced that Sky News will overhaul its programming and newsroom as part of a new editorial strategy to create premium paid content that will have to offset the losses and decline of traditional television and TV news.
Sky News, as part of its "Sky News 2030" strategy, will try to build "new income streams centred around subject hubs that will offer paid products from podcasts and newsletters to events and live shows".
Sky News' app is not available in South Africa for South African viewers, but David Rhodes wants to build out new products and services for Sky News to get UK and international TV news viewers to pay for that.
With all of the planned new products and services, the traditional, 36-year-old Sky News channel will continue to remain available as a traditional pay-TV channel.
According to David Rhodes, Sky News' resources will now focus more on creating premium content for which audiences will have to pay. According to him, only 30% of Sky News' current news output can be classified as "premium" and he wants that to change to "70%".
"Linear TV audiences and linear monetisation are in a structural decline," he said.
"We are not the first to recognise that premium experiences, where engaged audiences are willing to pay, are where we need to be."
The Sky News newsroom will be reorganised and "duplication" cut down by increasing the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
